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Live from Basel: 5 New Watches from Rolex

CollectionsMar 22, 2018

Live from Basel: 5 New Watches from Rolex

Take a look at the GMT-Master II in steel with the “Pepsi” bezel and a sapphire-set Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.

20180322_Cosmograph-sapphires.jpg
The 18-karat rose gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona with a rainbow of 36 baguette-cut sapphires on the bezel is among the new watches introduced by the brand at Baselworld.

Basel--Rolex introduced a handful of new Oyster models at the Baselworld show, including a GMT-Master II in steel with the “Pepsi” bezel and a sapphire-set Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.

See five Baselworld introductions from Rolex in the slideshow below.


The past 10 months have served as a testament to the collectability, and desirability, of the 113-year-old Swiss brand, with two one-of-a-kind Rolex watches going for millions at auction and another rare timepiece set for sale in Geneva this spring.

The Rolex Daytona that once belonged to Paul Newman (and is the reason that particular model now has the name it does) went for nearly $18 million at Phillips in October, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction.

Last May, the black-dialed, one-of-a-kind “Bao Dai” Rolex sold for $5 million, also at Phillips.

And this May, Phillips will offer another rare Rolex, the only known white gold manual-winding Cosmograph Daytona ever produced. Referred to as “The Unicorn,” the pre-sale estimate on the watch is about $3 million.

Editor's note: This story was altered post-publication to included updated pricing information.
Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

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